Recipes: Meat: Veal Short Ribs

This is tender and succulent - falling from the bones good. And it's a one-pot dish, which makes clean up a breeze! Veal short ribs are available from www.dartagnan.com or feel free to substitute beef short ribs. Serve with short pasta, like penne, that has been tossed in a splash of olive oil and sauteed spinach or kale. Serves 6-8.

3-4 pounds veal short ribs
1½ tablespoons kosher salt
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 bottle dry white wine, preferably Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup veal stock or beef stock
20 cloves garlic, peeled
12 fresh thyme sprigs

Arrange the short ribs on a baking tray and pat dry. Season with the salt and pepper and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.

In a large, ovenproof Dutch oven (with cover), heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot. Sear the ribs in batches, browning well on all sides except for the bone side. Transfer the ribs to a new baking sheet or large platter and brown the remaining ribs, adding more oil as necessary.

Lower the heat under the pot to medium and add the onion, celery and carrot. Scrape the bottom of the pan with the liquid released from the vegetables to loosen any bits of meat. Increase the heat back to medium-high to evaporate the liquid and caramelize the vegetables. When the vegetables have turned golden brown, add the white wine, stirring once or twice, and cook until almost all of the wine has evaporated and the vegetables are almost dry, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Add the chicken and veal stocks to the vegetables and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add garlic cloves and stir, then remove from heat.

Place the ribs, bone side down, in the pot. The liquid should cover all but a third of the meat. Don't worry if some of the ribs are completely submerged. Add water or remove liquid, as necessary. Place thyme sprigs over meat.

Cover the pot and place in oven. Cook for two hours. Remove cover and continue baking for 15 minutes to brown the tops of the ribs. Taste and adjust seasoning, and serve.

Wine Skinny Match: Pull out a good Merlot for these rich, meaty ribs.

Wine Tasting, 04/06